Buying a property can be tremendously exciting, but it can also be quite intimidating, particularly if you’re a first time buyer. We understand.
We’re here to guide and help you through the process. We’ve provided a brief guide to the process below, but if there’s anything else you’re not sure about, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
The buying process:
The first step is to establish what your budget is. If you need finance (e.g. a mortgage) to purchase a property, you should speak to either your bank or an independent mortgage advisor to see what level of mortgage you could achieve. It is advisable to obtain a mortgage offer, at least in principle, with a mortgage lender (either direct or through a mortgage advisor) so that once you are ready to make an offer for a property, you are able to do so quickly.
So now you know your budget, it’s time to start property shopping! Have a look at the properties currently for sale, using our search tools to narrow down the list of properties to match your requirements. If you don’t immediately see a suitable property, you can request to be added to our property alerts system so that you are informed when any property that matches your requirements comes on the market with us.
Once you’ve found a property the suits your requirements, contact us to obtain further details – such as the home report – or to arrange a viewing of the property. A home report is designed to provide buyers with more information about homes they are thinking of buying before they submit an offer and a home report is a great way to learn about the condition and the value of the property. It is legal requirement that sellers get an officially recognised chartered surveyor to carry out a home report on their property but it’s important to note that a home report is not an in-depth survey, but is a great guide to help prospective buyers know where to focus their attention.
A home report includes 3 separate sections;
(1) A Property Questionnaire (completed by the seller)
(2) A Single Survey & Valuation of the property.
(3) An Energy Report or EPC (Energy Performance Certificate)
You can find more information about Home Reports on the Scottish Government’s website here. [http://www.gov.scot/homereport]
Once you’ve decided you’d like to purchase the property, the next step is to make an offer. You can either do this verbally directly with ourselves or instruct your Solicitor to offer on your behalf.
Once the sale has been verbally agreed, the next step is to instruct your Solicitor to make a formal, written offer on your behalf.
After this stage, your Solicitor will deal with your purchase until the transaction is complete and you receive the keys to your new home!
